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For the past 21 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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MANILA -– Megastar Sharon Cuneta has renewed her contract with ABS-CBN for another year.
"For 21 years I think there should be no question na I'm really Kapamilya. It's my family. This (contract) is for another year. Every year naman we sign a contract," Cuneta said.
The contract signing was held at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel Monday. Those present in the signing were the network’s chairman and chief executive officer Eugenio Lopez III, president Charo Santos- Concio, channel head Cory Vidanes, entertainment head Linggit Tan, and business unit head Cathy Perez.
Cuneta, who is now hosting a talk show on ABSCBN, shared that she would also like to do a sitcom following her hit comedy film "Best Friends Forever (BFF)."
"I think nagulat ang maraming tao noong lumabas ang BFF na kaya ko pa lang maging loka loka. Pero kapag drama ay special 'yon usually. Sa big screen ako makikita kapag ganoon," she said.
Cuneta is currently filming a drama movie under Regal Films titled “Mano Po 6: My Mother.”
The seasoned actress, meanwhile, promised that her talk show “Sharon” will become even more exciting and interesting.
"Exciting talaga kasi we've been doing so well... we want to keep the audience interested in us," Cuneta said (MNS)
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MANILA -- LUCKY girl Charice Pempengco is. Or just Charice, which she said is how she prefers to be called. Well, Charice does not deny that she has acquired enough properties for herself and her family. Yes, from her earnings, especially abroad. For herself, for example, she was able to buy her dream car, a Ford Expedition. Her mom, Raquel, has her own car, an SUV. So does her brother, Carl, who is now the owner of a Honda SR sporty sedan.
Charice currently stays at a unit in a plush condominium in Paranaque and they now own a vacation house in Tagaytay. They were also able to acquire a ten-door apartment in the suburbs which they are renting out.
Anytime now, Charice and her mom might again leave the country for a series of concerts with international songwriter-producer David Foster and his other talents. Charice recently recorded an album for international release which Foster produced.
Charice was a runner-up in ABS-CBN’s "Little Big Star," which saw Sam Concepcion as the grand winner. She got her big break when a staff of "Ellen," the talk show of Ellen Degeneres, saw her video on YouTube.com and decided to invite her to the show. Charice then was featured in several other talk shows, most notably, "The Oprah Winfrey Show." (MNS)
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MANILA -- JOLINA Magdangal is happy that "Adik Sa 'Yo" continues to gain more viewers in search of light comedy as opposed to sudsy soap dramas on primetime.
"What we offer is a pleasant alternative," she says. "Very fast moving ang storyline and with many funny and romantic scenes, kaya naman when I meet people in public, they tell me talagang naaadik na raw sila sa show. Lalo ngayon, nagkaroon kami ng bagong conflict ni Marvin Agustin dahil na-reveal nang hindi talaga ako buntis kaya ayaw na niya akong pakasalan."
What can she say now that her contemporary Judy Ann Santos has gotten married whereas her own wedding plans got aborted? "I'm really very happy for my kumare. I can see namang masaya siya sa married life niya ngayon. As for me, hindi pa siguro talaga nakatakda. Hindi naman magandang pilitin masabi lang na ikinasal ako, di ba?"
How come rumors linking her to Rivermaya drummer Mark Escueta persist? "We do date. Pero mali 'yung naisulat na kami na raw. As of now, I appreciate 'yung sincerity niya and I can see he respects my family, lalo na ang parents ko. That's very important for me, 'yung makasundo ng family ko ang sinuman na magi-ging kasama ko. Where it's going from here, hindi pa sure. (MNS)
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Richard Gutierrez is saddened and upset by the criminal complaint filed against him in connection with the car accident in Cavite that killed his personal assistant, Nomar Pardo, two months ago.
Last week, Richard was charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide by Pardo's widow, Lorayne, before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Imus. In a statement read by his older sister, Ruffa, Richard branded this move as an unfair act. He maintained that what happened on May 22 in Silang was an accident. He also stressed that he was not negligent and did not commit any crime.
The young actor was driving the car when the accident occurred. Like Richard, his bodyguard, Jorge Mascora, was also wounded in the mishap. Richard pointed out that it was an incident that could happen to anyone, citing the reported six vehicular accidents that occurred in the same area.
"Nomar was more than an assistant to me, he was a good friend. What happened in the morning of May 22 was an accident; one which took my friend's life and where I also could have died", Richard said. "I wonder, if anyone else had been driving, would Lorayne have sued?" he added.
Also in his statement, Richard recalled that, even before the filing of the criminal complaint, he made public his desire to help Pardo's children by supporting their education, an offer purportedly rejected by Lorayne's camp. He explained that he made the offer because "I cared for a friend that I had lost and I knew that is what my friend would have wanted. Let me repeat this, it was an accident and my family and I will not be pressured or coerced by the filing of this case. We will trust that the justice system will vindicate me in the end," he added.
He said he will present pieces of evidence at the proper time.
Richard, according to Ruffa, took a break from work to do some soul searching for a few days.
Be strong.
Ruffa also came to her younger brother's defense Sunday. The television host said nobody wanted it to happen. She pointed out that her brother almost lost his life, too, because of the accident.
"Richard was very careful. Hindi siya nag-speeding, hindi siya nakainom. Kung nasasaktan sila, nasasaktan din kami because we lost a family member," Ruffa said.
She maintained that, like the Pardo family, the Gutierrezes also mourned the demise of Richard's personal assistant. Ruffa also clarified that her family never abandoned the Pardos.
"Nagkaroon ng paguusap ang mommy ko at ang pamilya Pardo. At ang sinabi ng mommy, ito ang gusto naming maitulong sa mga bata. Gusto namin bigyan kayo ng education fund para sa dalawang anak ni Nomar para makatapos sila ng college. Kasama na doon ang financial assistancena hindi nila tinanggap," she said.
Ruffa said she hopes her family and the Pardos will settle the issue privately so that Nomar's soul can also rest in peace. She added that her family will always be behind Richard. (MNS)
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MANILA -- MICHELLE Madrigal was at the Embassy Bar with brother and sister Paolo and Bubbles Paraiso the night that NBA star Kobe Bryant also went there on his last night in Manila. She got the surprise of her life when Kobe approached her at their table and asked her: "So how's 'Zorro'?"
"Siyempre, nagulat ako na alam niya ang 'Zorro'," she laughs. "Gusto ko ngang sagutin ng 'Why? Do you have GMA Pinoy TV at home kaya mo alam ang 'Zorro'? Yun pala, yung black guy who earlier talked to me and asked me what I'm doing, yun pala ang road manager niya rito. Tinanong ako kung anong ginagawa ko and I said I'm an actress who's doing the show 'Zorro'. Kaya 'yun ang opening line ni Kobe Bryant sa'kin."
How did she feel about it? "Natural na flattered ako. Actually, he was earlier in a table na may mga babaeng mukhang patay na patay sa kanya so he left them at lumapit nga sa amin. Sabi pa sa'kin, you're gorgeous and beautiful, kaya ayan, ang haba ng hair ko. Sabi ko, thank you."
What if he'd seriously woo her? "Ay naku, hindi po ako homewrecker. Common knowledge na he's married with children. So kung binobola man niya ako or what, tinanggap ko na lang at nag-thank you ako sa kanya. Hanggang dun lang yun."
Michelle is sad that "Zorro" is ending next week. "But I'm glad to have been a part of it dahil nabigyan ako ng chance to play a demure provinciana role as Juana. Akala kasi ng iba, puwede lang ako sa mataray at kontrabida roles. So napatunayan ko ritong puede rin akong maging mahinhin."
So what happens to Juana in "Zorro"? "She'd realize na mahal niya si Bernardo (Antonio Aquitania) kahit pipi ito at ikakasal kami rito."
While she's in between shows, she wants to review for a college qualifying exam. "Hindi pa kasi ako tapos ng high school so I want to take the exam at, kapag naipasa ko 'yun, then I can go to college." (MNS)
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MANILA - Former singer Selina Sevilla, an alleged victim of a botched butt augmentation procedure, has come out in the open to warn those, especially the youth, who are planning to undergo cosmetic surgery.
"Kaya rin ako nag-desisyon na lumabas, gusto ko ang mga kabataan ngayon makita iyong sinapit ko. ItÌs a public awareness na sana huwag na nila akong gayahin," Sevilla said.
Sevilla said her children's reaction to the procedure when she first told them about it had made her realized that she needed to share her experience with the public. "Itinago ko ito sa pamilya ko, sa anak ko. Bago ako lumabas sa TV, kinausap ko ang mga anak ko. Nakita ko ang reaksyon ng anak ko, naku, mama, ako, hindi ako papa-retoke," she said.
Sevilla already filed acomplaint against Dr. R.A. Eugeniobefore the National Bureauof Investigation. Eugenio is the alleged fake doctor who injected silicone oil on her buttocks in 1998 and 1999.
In the same interview, plastic surgeon Lawrence Loh said injection of silicone oil has long been banned because of complications. He also said that it is possible for complications to surface more than a decade after the procedure has been done.
Loh said he was shocked when Sevilla came to him for a check-up. He said he has not seen anything that bad.
"Nabubulok iyong lamankaya kailangan linisan. Matagalna gamutan ito at mahirap," he said.
"It could have been lifethreatening but not in her casekasi nagdra-drain ang oil. It'scoming out," he added.(MNS)
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